Stanley Cup comes to the capital city

Tuesday

Jul 30, 2013 at 12:01 AMJul 30, 2013 at 11:22 AM

Chicago Blackhawks fans Ian Harvey and his 6-year-old daughter, Mallory, made it a point to celebrate together last month when their favorite team won the National Hockey League championship and secured the most hallowed trophy in professional sports. The two stood with some 50 fans outside the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum, where the championship trophy had appeared earlier for a private legislative reception.

Lauren Leone-Cross

Chicago Blackhawks fans Ian Harvey and his 6-year-old daughter, Mallory, made it a point to celebrate together last month when their favorite team won the National Hockey League championship and secured the most hallowed trophy in professional sports.

So naturally, the Auburn residents woke up bright and early Monday in hopes of catching a glimpse of the legendary Stanley Cup, which was making its first appearance in Springfield since 2010 — the last time the Blackhawks won it all.

The two stood with some 50 fans outside the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum, where the championship trophy had appeared earlier for a private legislative reception. Only invited guests and media were allowed inside.

Harvey was speechless after he and his daughter got a photo opportunity with the iconic Cup.

“Wow. It makes the hair on your arm stand up. It’s definitely something special. I’m glad we were able to share this moment together,” said Harvey, who calls his daughter his “hockey-watching buddy.”

It was only in June that the Blackhawks won their second Stanley Cup in four seasons, beating the Boston Bruins in six games.

Chance to share

Earlier, inside the museum plaza, invited guests, including elected officials, civic leaders and members of the armed forces, had opportunities to take a photo with the Cup.

One time in line wasn’t enough for Jean Hoefler, 53, of Chicago.

“I was so nervous and shaky, so I barely touched it the first time. I’m going back in line,” Hoefler said.

The 34 1/2-pound, 35 1/4-inch-high silver trophy was brought to town by the team’s chairman and majority owner, Rocky Wirtz, who met with friends and family and signed autographs for fans during Monday’s event.

Wirtz told reporters he isn’t surprised to find so many Blackhawks fans outside the Chicago area.

“It’s great to be able to share it … You know, you might have 8 million people in the Chicago metro area, but I know (there are) 4 million people outside, so that’s bigger than many, many states.”

Wirtz credits the Blackhawks’ growing fan base to its 2010 championship win — the team’s first since 1961. And fans really began to pay attention, he said, when the team opened up the 2013 season with a 24-game run without a regulation loss — the best start to a season in NHL history.

Yes, it’s real

For longtime fans like Paul Kittler, 36, of Peoria, love for the Blackhawks goes back a lot further.

“It’s one of the best moments of my life this morning. It’s the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen,” he said.

To make sure the Cup was the “real thing,” he said he inspected it closely by looking for a former Blackhawks forward whose name had been misspelled but quickly corrected.

“It’s the Cup. I made sure,” Kittler said. “The fact that it’s in central Illinois is huge. I love the fact because it’s here. (There are) just no words.”

Gov. Pat Quinn; state Sen. Bill Brady, R-Bloomington; and state Rep. Sue Scherer, D-Decatur, among other elected officials, attended the private event.

After holding up his daughter in front of the Stanley Cup for a photo, Harvey said its status as one of the most traveled trophies in the world makes it famous even outside the world of hockey.

“It’s just the tradition behind it, and what it stands for. These players, that’s what they strive for. They sacrifice and put all that they have into each game to achieve that one goal,” Harvey said. “It’s inspiring for sure.”

The Cup arrived at Abraham Lincoln Capital Airport at 7 a.m. before making its way to the private event at the museum. The public had opportunities to snap photos of the trophy when it arrived at the airport and before and after the private event. The Cup then traveled to the Illinois Air National Guard’s 183 Fighter Wing base for a group photo.

Three years ago, the Cup was displayed during the Illinois State Fair.

Quinn’s office said Monday the Cup will not be back to the state fair this year but could make a return trip to Springfield.

Lauren Leone-Cross can be reached at 747-9565.

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Lord Stanley's Cup

The Stanley Cup, the oldest trophy competed for by professional athletes in North America, was donated in 1892 by Sir Frederick Arthur Stanley, Lord Stanley of Preston and son of the Earl of Derby. He purchased the trophy for 10 Guineas ($50 at that time) to be presented to “the championship hockey club of the Dominion of Canada.” The first team ever awarded the Stanley Cup was the Montreal Amateur Athletic Association in 1893.

Since 1910, when the National Hockey Association took possession of the Stanley Cup, the trophy has been symbolic of professional hockey supremacy. Beginning in 1926, only NHL teams have competed for it.

There have been numerous alterations to the Cup structure. In its infancy, tiered rings were added periodically to the bottom of the bowl. This was followed by long narrow bands in 1927 which were later replaced by uneven bands in 1947. Because the Cup is the only professional sports trophy where the name of every member of the winning team is inscribed, bands are often retired to make room for new champions. Retired bands, along with the original Stanley Cup bowl, are proudly displayed in Lord Stanley's Vault in the Esso Great Hall. Currently the Cup consists of a bowl, three tiered bands, a collar, and five barrel or uniform bands.

Each year upon presentation of the trophy to the championship team, a summer of celebration begins, as each of the organization's players and staff enjoy 24 hours with the Cup - a tradition which has no rival in any sport. In its many years of existence, the Stanley Cup has traveled around the world, including stays in Russia, Japan, and Switzerland as well as atop mountain peaks through the Rockies and inside igloos in Canada's newest territory, Nunavut.

Source: the Hockey Hall of Fame website www.hhof.com

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